With Jixiang’s support, Yunyi sat up. “That arrow was indeed poisoned.”
Du Ruhui cooled a spoonful of medicine and fed it to her. “They were determined to kill the Second Young Master, so naturally they used every means possible.”
Yunyi swallowed the bitter medicine and asked with concern, “Is the Second Young Master alright?”
Du Ruhui smiled. “You blocked the arrow for the Second Young Master, so how could he not be fine? It’s you we should worry about—don’t you value your life?”
“The situation was urgent at the time, and I had no chance to think carefully. Moreover… no matter what, the Second Young Master came to save me, so I couldn’t let him lose his life because of me.” After a brief pause, Yunyi asked, “By the way, how were those people dealt with?”
“They all committed suicide, apparently afraid of implicating their mastermind.” After feeding her the entire bowl of medicine, Du Ruhui picked up a candied fruit from the small plate Jixiang was holding. “Hold this in your mouth to get rid of the bitter taste.”
Yunyi laughed. “Are you treating me like a child who’s afraid of taking medicine?”
Du Ruhui chuckled. “The person treating you like a child isn’t me. This candied fruit was specially bought by the Second Young Master from the county town—he was afraid Your Highness the Princess would find the medicine too bitter and refuse to take it.”
Yunyi was slightly dazed and said softly, “The Second Young Master is so thoughtful.” After spitting out the fruit pit, she said, “Once I’m feeling better, let’s set out for Taiyuan.”
Seeing him again, she still felt her heart skip a beat around Li Shimin, and her gaze unconsciously followed his figure. She feared that continued interaction would make it hard for her to leave.
Du Ruhui hesitated, then said, “The Second Young Master hopes I’ll stay and help him and the General conquer the realm.”
His words surprised Yunyi, but she quickly understood and smiled. “It seems I don’t need to say much more.”
Du Ruhui frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Actually, I’ve always felt that with your talents, retiring to Taiyuan would be quite a waste. It’s just that along the way, one thing after another kept happening, and I had no time to discuss this with you in detail. Now that the Second Young Master has a discerning eye for talent and has taken the initiative to ask you to stay in the army, hasn’t this saved me the trouble?”
Du Ruhui smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll escort you to Taiyuan first, then return.”
“That’s not necessary. Ruyi and the others can accompany me back.” Before Du Ruhui could speak, she continued, “Don’t forget, I’m not some helpless weak woman.”
“But it’s still not very safe. I should accompany you back, and I can also visit our parents and Xianyue, so they won’t worry.”
Yunyi shook her head. “If you truly want to establish yourself in the Li family and achieve something, you absolutely cannot return to Taiyuan at this time. Have you forgotten what Duke Li is doing right now?”
Du Ruhui looked puzzled. “Attacking Chang’an?”
“Exactly. Although Song Laosheng is already dead, Chang’an still has Wei Wensheng, who is no ordinary person. It won’t be easy for Duke Li to take Chang’an. You have exceptional intelligence and might be able to help Duke Li at this crucial moment.” Having said so much was tiring for Yunyi, who had just returned from death’s door. After resting a moment, she continued, “As for Xianyue, I’ll explain things to her for you. You can rest assured.”
Du Ruhui knew she was right, but still couldn’t help worrying. “In that case, I’ll have the Second Young Master assign some soldiers to escort you back.”
Yunyi was about to refuse when he said first, “No refusing, or I’ll escort you back myself.”
Seeing him say this, Yunyi had to agree. Having finished this discussion, she turned her gaze to the candied fruit still in Jixiang’s hands. Jixiang thought she wanted more and picked up another piece. “If Your Highness likes it, this servant will buy more to eat on the road for entertainment.”
“No need.” Yunyi shook her head and said to Du Ruhui, “Promise me one thing.”
Du Ruhui looked at her for a while. “Is it about the Second Young Master?” Besides Xiao Shi, he was probably the person in this world who understood Yunyi best.
“Yes.” Yunyi said solemnly, “I know the Second Young Master’s character—he’s benevolent and values relationships and righteousness. When he returns this time, I fear he may not have the heart to deal with Li Jiancheng ruthlessly. But if this person isn’t eliminated, the Second Young Master will be in great danger. When you go, you must be very careful and not let him harm the Second Young Master.”
Du Ruhui nodded. “Even if you hadn’t said so, I would be careful.” After a pause, he suddenly asked, “Your Highness, you still like the Second Young Master, don’t you?”
Yunyi smiled bitterly. “What does it matter if I like him or not? He and I are ultimately impossible.”
Du Ruhui was silent for a moment. “Actually, I can see that the Second Young Master also has feelings for Your Highness, it’s just…”
Yunyi finished his sentence. “It’s just that he can’t forget Li Xuanba’s death.” She sighed deeply and said sadly, “This matter is the chasm between him and me that cannot be crossed. Forget it—being able to see him again, I’m already very satisfied.”
Hearing this, Du Ruhui also sighed deeply, not knowing what to say. After a while, he said, “Your Highness just woke up and your body is still weak. Rest for now, and I’ll come see you again later.”
After Du Ruhui left, Yunyi said to Ruyi and the other maid guarding by the bed, “You haven’t had a peaceful sleep these past few days, and you’ve been watching over me for so long today. You must be very tired. Go rest quickly—I’m fine now.”
Though Ruyi and the others were reluctant to leave, they had to comply given Yunyi’s firm attitude. After she was alone in the tent, Yunyi closed her eyes to rest. She didn’t know how much time had passed when she heard footsteps. Without opening her eyes, she said, “Didn’t I tell you to go rest? Why are you back?”
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” This voice made Yunyi open her eyes immediately, and she saw Li Shimin standing by the bed. She quickly tried to sit up, but inadvertently pulled at the wound on her arm, causing her to gasp in pain.
Seeing this, Li Shimin quickly said, “Be careful, or you’ll tear the wound open and it will bleed again.” As he spoke, he helped Yunyi sit properly and placed two soft pillows behind her back before saying, “I just heard from Ruhui that you woke up, so I came to check on you. Do you need Physician Sun to examine you again?”
Yunyi shook her head. “No need. Aside from having no strength, I feel fine.”
“That’s good.” After an awkward silence, Li Shimin forced himself to find a topic. “Are the plums to your taste?”
Yunyi smiled. “Though I’m not afraid of taking medicine, those plums are sweet and sour and indeed help with the medicine’s taste. The Second Young Master is very thoughtful.”
“As long as you like them.” After a pause, Li Shimin said, “Thank you for saving me. This debt I owe you, I will…”
“You don’t owe me anything.” Yunyi interrupted him. “If not for saving me, you wouldn’t have been in danger. If anyone owes a debt, it should be me owing you.”